Kim Novak

A rare combination of icy aloofness and earthy sensuality helped to make actress Kim Novak one of the top box office stars in Hollywood during the 1950s and early 1960s. The former model was originall...
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Hollywood actress Charlize Theron has risked the wrath of women's rights campaigners by comparing life in the Hollywood spotlight to rape. During an interview with Sky News, the Oscar-winning actress was asked whether she reads coverage of herself on the Internet and she insisted she tries to avoid looking up stories online.
She went on to compare coverage of her private life to being sexually violated, saying, "I don't do that (Google myself). So that's my saving grace. I think it's when you start living in that world and doing that that you start... I guess feeling raped." Theron, who adopted a son in 2012, recently hit headlines when her new relationship with actor Sean Penn became public, but the Monster star explains she tries to keep her family time private and doesn't understand why some celebrities publicise their personal lives.
She adds, "When it comes to your son and your private life (I keep it private), maybe that's just me, some people might relish in all of that kind of stuff (but) there are certain things in my life that I think of as very sacred and I'm very protective over them, that doesn't mean I always win that war, but as long as I don't have to see that stuff or read that stuff or hear that stuff... Then I can live with my head in a clear space. That's probably a lot healthier... "My job has made my live incredibly blessed and good and I am very grateful for that but that doesn't mean that every aspect of my life becomes fodder for an article. I try to protect that as much as I can."
Twilight actress Kristen Stewart issued a public apology in 2010 after she made remarks comparing the media intrusion in her life to sexual assault, while veteran star Kim Novak was criticised by women's groups after she used the word "rape" when talking about the similarities between The Artist's film score and the music from her 1958 classic Vertigo.

Veteran actress Kim Novak has blasted those who poked fun at her looks after her Oscars appearance alongside Matthew Mcconaughey in March (14), insisting she feels compelled to "speak out against bullies".
The Vertigo actress admits that jabs from the likes of Donald Trump, who insisted Novak should "sue her plastic surgeon", stung at first, but in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she says she owes it to the victims of bullies everywhere to speak out.
The 81 year old states, "It (criticism) really did throw me into a tailspin and it hit me hard... For days, I didn't leave the house, and it got to me like it gets kids and teenagers (who are attacked)."
Her phone chat with the publication came hours after the actress released an open letter stating, "I will no longer hold myself back from speaking out against bullies. We can't let people get away with affecting our lives." She adds, "I'm not going to deny that I had fat injections in my face. They seemed far less invasive than a facelift. In my opinion, a person has a right to look as good as they can, and I feel better when I look better."
Novak has also addressed her Oscars night speech pattern, which some critics described as halting, stating it was the result of a relaxant pill she had taken before appearing onstage.

ABC Television Network
There’s no doubt that The View has cemented its place in popular culture since its premiere in 1997, and that its co-creator Barbara Walters is a legend who has paved the way for women in journalism. However, as we consider the positive impact the show has had on American society and the world at large, we must also come to terms with some of its problems as well.
For those who don’t watch, every morning the hosts debate about a variety of “hot topics” in an attempt to tap into the zeitgeist. One morning the hosts will discuss Justin Bieber’s legal troubles, for example, and another morning they’ll talk about the crisis in the Ukraine. The hot topics are responsible for the show’s continued success with viewers and its presence in the mainstream American media, as they have famously incited some heated on-air arguments between the co-hosts. Below is a video of one of the more memorable fights.
At which point do we decide what merits a legitimate “hot topic” worth debating and what contributes to gossip and the general lynch-mob mentality that has taken form in the Twittersphere? Case in point: the recent discussion about Kim Novak’s Academy Awards appearance. Walters brought it up on Monday, March 3, asking in a condescending tone whether or not Novak should be put on television, as if she’s some abnormal creature who shouldn’t leave the house. By contributing to the conversation, the co-hosts of The View implied that cruelty is acceptable and that insulting another human being for the way she looks and talks is a worthy endeavor.
This isn’t the only example. During discussions of the recent child molestation claims against Woody Allen incited by the Farrows (first Ronan and Mia and then Dylan), co-hosts Sherri Shepard and Jenny McCarthy expressed their willingness to believe the Farrows while simultaneously attacking Allen for “having a track record” of liking younger women, as if that is synonymous with pedophilia. I’m not saying that they’re right or wrong because I don’t know what happened either, but why should they even discuss this in the first place? Why should they claim such certainty about another person’s private life with the same speculative information the rest of us have?
The short answer is that they wouldn’t have a show if they didn’t, and the long answer is that The View is a product of a culture and society that thrives on making rash judgments against other people without knowing anything about them. Walters and company aren’t the only ones doing this — they’re not even the only ones on television who profit from gossiping about others — but given Walters’ journalistic integrity, she should know better.
After all, the co-hosts have a responsibility to their viewers, and if they want to create a show that revolves around your average American offering an opinion about the latest news story, they should be more selective in their choosing of hot topics. Many viewers turn to the co-hosts to learn about what’s relevant and important in the world, and by using their airspace to cast judgments about other people’s private lives (Allen) or to criticize the way certain people carry themselves publically (Novak), they send the wrong message that it’s acceptable to offer an opinion about other people without knowing anything about them or the situation in which they’re placed.
Don’t be fooled, folks. This is never acceptable, especially on television.
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A.M.P.A.S.(r)/Michael Yada
The Academy Awards are the biggest night in Hollywood, where the best films and performances of the years are celebrated in a ceremony that always drags on a half hour too long. If you're a host or a nominee, you're going to be the talk of the town in the weeks surrounding Oscar night, but in the end, it's never the moments that you expect that steal the show, because when you gather the biggest stars in the world and put them in one room, something insane is bound to happen. Sure, Ellen Degeneres had a finely-honed monologue, but the real highlights of the evening came from an unfortunate flub or a weird, rambling presentation.
We're celebrating the biggest party in Hollywood by pulling together the best, worst and weirdest celebrity moments from the 2014 Academy Awards, so that you can catch up on or relive all of the awkward and hilarious moments from the show. They might not have won an Oscar, but they managed to steal the show from Brad Pitt's pizza party, and in some ways, that's even more deserving of an award.
World's Quickest Presentation: Channing Tatum By now, you'd think that Channing Tatum would have no problem reading a pre-written speech from a teleprompter. After all, he's one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Surely he knows how to deliver his lines by now. Unfortunately, it seemed as if his nerves got the best of him last night, and Tatum raced through his spiel about the Oscars college program so quickly it took everyone at home a minute to process what had just happened. We're not sure if he was just nervous, if he had a bet going with Jonah Hill to see how long he could speak without breathing, or if someone threatened to hold him personally responsible if the ceremony ran long, but whatever the case, we're glad to see someone at the Oscars wants to help us all get to bed at a reasonable hour.
Most Charming Speech: Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez"Let it Go," the song that everyone and their baby cousin has been singing incessantly for months, took home the Best Original Song Oscar last night, and the film's composers, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez delivered the most adorable speech of the night. There were bits spoken in unison, long passages of rhymes, a quick song breakdown, and a tear-jerking message to their daughters watching at home. It was like a Disney movie itself: pure, heartwarming fluff that you will never admit actually made you cry into your ice cream.
Most McConaughey: Kim Novak It takes a great deal of skill and careful preparation to be more rambling and nonsensical than Matthew McConaughey, but Kim Novak managed to do just that when she presented the Animation Oscars alongside the man himself. It was almost impossible to tell which bits of their speech were written on the telepromtpter and which bits she decided to wing, but either way, she decided to take the moment to have a McConologue of her own, and managed to be weirder than a guy who routinely goes on tangents about Neptune, the forces of the universe, and being his own hero. Brava, Ms. Novak. You have officially out-McConaugheyed the master.
Best Depolyment of Awards Show Singing: Darlene Love Between Diane Keaton's weirdly terrifying tribute to Woody Allen at the Golden Globes and Rita Moreno's mini-concert as she accepted her SAG Lifetime Achievement Award, this season has included an uncomfortable amount of impromptu a capella singing. But Darlene Love blew both of them out of the water, and the roof off of the Dolby Theater, when she helped celebrate the Best Documentary Oscar for 20 Feet From Stardom by belting out "His Eye is on the Sparrow," and earned a standing ovation. So, future award winners, we beg you: before you decide to sing, ask yourself "Am I Darlene Love?" If the answer is no, just stick to speaking, lest Love herself show up to put you in your place with a powerhouse belt. (Sorry, Diane.)
Most Tone-Deaf Presentation: Goldie Hawn Remember way back at the Golden Globes, when 12 Years a Slave got an awkward introduction from Reese Witherspoon, presumably because she's Southern? Well, the Oscars continued the tradition of disjointed awards show introductions, as Goldie Hawn took to the stage to present clips from that film, as well as Philomena and Nebraska. Before you could attempt to come up with a reason as to why these three films were introduced together (they all... involve road trips?), Hawn decided to end her speech about 12 Years a Slave with a big grin and a cheery inflection to her voice, which was a jarring contrast to the serious, devastating subject matter of the film. Pro tip: try and save the smile for a film that doesn't involve slavery.
Best Homage to Chariots of Fire: Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx has never met an awards show moment he couldn't spice up. So, when it came time for him to present the award for Best Score with Jessica Biel, he decided to ignore the stuffy introduction that the Oscars had prepared for him, and instead went off-script with a few improvised jokes, before performing an a capella version of the Chariots of Fire theme, complete with slow-motion running, while Biel attempted to read off the nominees. Because nobody lives up to the old adage "anything can happen on live television" quite like Jamie Foxx. Maybe he should host next year.
Most Meme-Inspiring: John Travolta and Adella Dazeem Look, reading things is hard. At least, that's what we're assuming John Travolta's defense is after delivering the biggest flub of the night, when instead of introducing Idina Menzel, the Tony Award winner who voiced Elsa in Frozen, he instead introduced Adella Dazeem. Before Menzel even finished her song, the Internet had already pulled together dozens of memes, and a parody Twitter account had already started gaining followers. It was a year filled with difficult-to-pronounce names, but the one that got messed up was relatively straightforward. Good job, Jorn Tramolto.
Most Touching Tribute: Bill Murray In what was probably the best presenter pairing of the night, Bill Murray and Amy Adams took to the stage to reveal the winner of the Best Cinematography Oscar. After taking the time to compliment Adams the way only he can ("Baby, you look like $146 million domestic"), Murray added one last nominee to list: Harold Ramis, for Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. It was only a quick moment, and yet that tiny bit of sincerity in the midst of Murray's trademark goofiness managed to be more touching that the entirety of the official In Memoriam segment. Somewhere in the audience, Bette Midler was probably furious that someone had stolen her thunder.
The Meryl Streep Golden Shimmy Award: Meryl Streep (Ft. Pharrell, Lupita Nyong'o, and Amy Adams)Pharrell's nominated song "Happy" is infuriatingly catchy. It's the kind of song that you love and hate in equal measure, but can't help but dance to when it comes on, no matter where you are or what you're doing. Lucikly for all of us, Meryl Streep feels the same way, and when Pharrell hopped off the stage and headed into the audience during his Oscars performance, she couldn't help but join him for a little shimmy. Sure, Lupita Nyong'o and Amy Adams may have had the more enthusiastic moves, but everyone knows you haven't truly made it until you can get the most nominated actress in Oscars history to bust a move with you.
Most Jim Carrey: Jim Carrey At some point in the course of Oscars preparations, the producers probably turned to each other in frustration. "We've got this whole montage about heroes, but I can't figure out how to introduce it," one of them said. "Why don't we just stick Jim Carrey up there, and let him just fill the time however he wants. He can stick a word or two in there about heroes, and everyone will laugh because it's Jim Carrey, and we can get back to ordering all of those inflatable lawn-ornament Oscars." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what happened.
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Veteran actress Kim Novak has spoken out to defend legendary director Alfred Hitchcock amid allegations he preyed on female actresses, insisting he was the perfect gentleman on set. Actress Tippi Hedren hit headlines last year (12) when she alleged the revered moviemaker tried to kiss her while they were shooting classic thriller The Birds, and she branded him "evil" and a "dangerous deviant".
However Novak, who took the leading female role in Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo, is adamant she saw no signs of any worrying behaviour from the director.
She tells Britain's Daily Mail, "I never had a problem with him. He wasn't that way with me. I found him to be quite proper. I mean, his wife was usually there on set. When she wasn't, he didn't act any differently, but was just a decent man and a strong director."

The Mindy Project cast ostensibly gathered onstage for a PaleyFest panel at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills on Friday night to talk about the first season of their delightful Fox comedy. But in addition to talk of casting, writing, and running the show, a good chunk of time was simply dedicated to making fun of Chris Messina, complimenting Chris Messina, hitting on Chris Messina and impersonating Chris Messina. In short, it was hilarious.
Messina was a man of few words, mostly ceding stage time to his chattier castmates (so they could tell stories about him and perfect their New York-y impressions of him). Since that doesn't really translate to print, you can take our word that everyone on the cast has a Messina impression — all with varying degrees of accuracy.
Aside from poking fun at arguably the most lovable cast member, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, Ed Weeks and the rest of the main cast did manage to share some juicy tidbits of information. Here's what else we learned from the panel:
On leaving The Office:It was "so hard" to exit the show Kaling had worked hard on, but her own show was too good an opportunity to pass up, Kaling says. But leaving such a tight-knit group of people has its perks: "I knew all of them so well, which is why they come on the show," she says. Expect to see more Dunder Mifflin-ites pop up throughout the show's run, along with the ones we've seen already. B.J. Novak will be back for at least one more episode in Season 1, Kaling confirmed.
On the magic of Mark Duplass:Duplass will be back for at least two more episodes. In addition to the next new episode (which was screened before the panel), Duplass just shot an episode in which he gets intimate with Messina. It's an indie-movie-lover's dream: Messina in a Speedo and Duplass in a singlet wrestling on the beach together. "They're submitting it to Sundance," Barinholtz joked. Speaking of Mindy's exes, Tommy Dewey will return for more episodes too.
On Weeks' British charm:The role of Jeremy Reed was originally envisioned as a "Bradley Cooper type," Weeks says. But after practicing the audition pages in his American accent, his roommate encouraged him to go with his native accent instead. Clearly it worked out, though Kaling jokes she was so mesmerized by Weeks' looks that she invited him to her house for a late night casting couch session and that's how he got the role.
On Nurse Beverly:Now that Beth Grant has re-joined the cast full time, we'll learn more about the curmudgeonly character. She's had many different boyfriends of varying ethnic backgrounds, Grant says. At one point, she was engaged to the recently convicted Drew Peterson, Kaling and Barinholtz joke.
On Danny and Mindy's chemistry: The writers' room is very divided between wanting Mindy and Danny to get together and wanting to watch their friendship blossom some more, Barinholtz says. Obviously no one would hint at which way it goes, but they did note that the Season 2 pickup didn't change how they're writing the rest of the season.
As for her non-Mindy-related projects, Kaling confirmed that she'd just read the script for the finale of The Office, which she's shooting in a few days, and that she plans to spend her summer hiatus writing another book.
Follow Jean on Twitter @hijean
[PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Parry/AP Photo]
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The world premiere of Hitchcock took place Thursday night at the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, serving as the opening film of the AFI Film Festival. Before the screening, director Sacha Gervasi stood in front of a packed house — which quickly became choked up by the director's emotional display — speaking about the support Fox Searchlight gave the debut director. (Gervasi lovingly called Fox Searchlight “filmmakers disguised as a studio.”) It was a heartfelt moment that was followed by a video clip of Hitchcock co-stars Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren — who are currently in London working on only their second film together Red 2 — recounting their experience starring as the legendary director and his beloved wife Alma, respectively. The short video clip closed with Mirren thanking the audience for attending the screening and Hopkins, in his best Hitchcock impression, bidding the audience the classic, “Good evening.” The lights went down and the film began.
Hitchcock is a hugely entertaining and riveting account of the making of the classic horror film Psycho and the behind-the-scenes machinations of bringing the controversial film to the big screen in the early late 1950s/early '60s. However, the actual making of the film Psycho serves mostly as a fascinating backdrop for the film to explore the intricate, complex, and challenging relationship between the brilliant yet tortured genius Hitchcock and his adoring, equally brilliant and often neglected wife Alma. Based on the excellent book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello with a taut screenplay by John J. McLaughlin, the film perfectly captures the mood of the early '60s and the challenges of bringing the very controversial book Psycho by Robert Bloch — with its then very taboo themes of transvestitism, incest, and overt sexuality — to the big screen. Ralph Macchio of Karate Kid fame, in an interesting bit of casting, plays the neurotic Psycho screenwriter Joe Stefano.
Beyond the intrigue associated with simply getting the movie made (one example: Paramount studio boss Barney Balaban, played by Richard Portnow, so hated the idea of making the movie that he would not finance the picture), the film also explores the complicated relationship between “Hitch” and his beautiful female stars. Vera Miles (Jessica Biel) is singled out for poor treatment (and given a pretty thankless supporting role in Psycho) because she dared to chose having a child and family instead of allowing the director to “make her a star” when she declined the lead role in Vertigo (a role that went to Kim Novak). However, Janet Leigh, who is portrayed brilliantly by Scarlett Johansson (in a nuanced and striking performance), is presented as a woman who knows exactly how to handle the temperamental director and their relationship is perhaps the most perfectly uncomplicated in the film.
In the final analysis, it is the relationship between Alma and "Hitch” that holds the movie together; Hopkins is as brilliant as he’s ever been and creates an indelible portrait of the legendary director — he will certainly add this to his impressive list of iconic chracterizations. His mannerisms, voice and larger-than-life physical presence are manifested brilliantly in the transformation of the actor who perfectly channels the spirit, the essence and the well-known persona of Alfred Hitchcock, one of cinema’s most famous directors. Mirren’s performance is an absolute showstopper, with her quiet resolve and unwavering admiration for her husband’s talent simultaneously comingled with her feelings of disdain for his ill treatment of her and his lustful yearnings toward his beautiful young female stars. The essential beauty of Hitchcock is fully realized when the pair emotionally, romantically, and touchingly reconnect by putting their differences aside and work in earnest on the fledgling production together. Ultimately, Hitchcock presents a portrait of the truly deep love between Alma and Hitch tempered, tested and strengthened throughout the years and ultimately reinvigorated through their collaboration in making Psycho the massive financial, critical and cultural success it would become.
The highly anticipated biopic Hitchcock directed by Sacha Gervasi, features an all-star cast including Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, Johansson as actress Janet Leigh, James D’Arcy as actor Anthony Perkins, Biel as actress Vera Miles, Portnow as Paramount Studio boss Barney Balaban, Kurtwood Smith as the Director of The Production Code Administration, Michael Wincott as serial killer Ed Gein, Macchio as Psycho screenwriter Joe Stefano, and Michael Stuhlbarg as Lew Wasserman. The director of photography is the brilliant cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth (son of legendary “Blade Runner” DP Jordan Cronenweth) and the music score is courtesy of Danny Elfman. Producers include Ivan Reitman and Tom Pollack. A Fox Searchlight release.
[Image Credit: Suzanne Tenner/Fox Searchlight]
More:
Hitchcock: The Horrors of Making Psycho — TRAILER
Alfred Hitchcock Movie Is a Love Story, Naturally — POSTER
Anthony Hopkins is Nearly Unrecognizable as Alfred Hitchcock — PHOTO

Grace and Stan will lead the cast, taking on the roles played by Kim Novak and William Holden in the 1955 movie adaptation of Inge's play.
Previews are scheduled from 14 December (12) at the American Airlines Theatre, and the show is set to officially open on 13 January (13).

Hedren filmed The Birds and Marnie with Hitchcock and now she's using the new TV biopic about the revered director to reveal all about what a tyrant he was on movie sets - if he didn't get his own way.
The 82-year-old star claims Hitchcock tried to romance her and when she spurned him, he turned life on set into a living hell.
She says, "When I first heard Toby's voice as Alfred Hitchcock, my body just froze. It was hard to go through all of those years that had been eclipsed into an hour and a half. HBO (network bosses) very graciously granted me a screening for 30 of my friends, and at the end of it, nobody moved. Nobody said anything until my daughter, Melanie Griffith, jumped up and said, 'Now I have to go back into therapy.'
"I had not talked about this issue with Alfred Hitchcock to anyone. Because all those years ago, it was still the studio kind of situation. Studios were the power. And I was at the end of that, and there was absolutely nothing I could do legally whatsoever. There were no laws about this kind of a situation. If this had happened today, I would be a very rich women."
Hedren can only hope that young actresses see the film and take a stand against demanding directors: "I hope that young women who do see this film know that they do not have to acquiesce to anything that they do not feel is morally right or that they are dissatisfied with or simply wanting to get out of that situation, that you can have a strength, and you deserve it."
And she only wishes more of Hitchcock's leading women came forward with their on-set horror stories, adding, "I know Kim Novak, and she never said a word about anything wrong. I didn't bring it up. I really didn't talk about this issue for such a very, very long time.
"While we were doing The Birds - because this manifestation happened during the latter part of filming The Birds - I remember Suzanne Pleshette saying to me, because I was a newcomer in the business; she said, 'It isn't always like this.'
"As far as I know, Vera Miles had a terrible time with Hitchcock, and she wanted to get out of the contract. He didn't let her. She did Psycho, and I believe there isn't one close-up of Vera, not one. But she would never even speak about him to anyone. So I think it is common knowledge that Hitchcock had fantasies or whatever you want to call them about his leading ladies, which is very confining.
"Peggy Robertson, his assistant for so many years, and I remained friends until she died, and she, at one point, said to me that he would have these kind of feelings for his leading ladies, and she said, 'But he never got over you'."
The actress is portrayed by Sienna Miller in the film, which chronicles Hitchcock's treatment of Hedren.

The Vertigo star confessed to having the manic-depressive mood disorder as she gave a speech at the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival in Hollywood on Friday (13Apr12), according to the Los Angeles Times.
She told the crowd, "I'm bipolar... but there's medicine you can take for this now. I was not diagnosed until much later. I go through more of the depression than the mania part."
The 79 year old also opened up about her bittersweet decision to give up her career in her 1960s heyday, admitting she still has regrets about bowing out of the industry to take up painting.
She added, "I don't think I was ever cut out to have a Hollywood life. Did I do the right thing, leaving? Did I walk out when I shouldn't have? That's when I get sad."
The actress plans to hold an exhibition of her artwork for the first time next year (13) and donate a portion of the proceeds to mental heath organisations.
Novak was in town to cement her hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Saturday (14Apr12). Actresses Debbie Reynolds and Connie Stevens attended the ceremony to show their support.

Summary

A rare combination of icy aloofness and earthy sensuality helped to make actress Kim Novak one of the top box office stars in Hollywood during the 1950s and early 1960s. The former model was originally envisioned as a replacement for Marilyn Monroe by Columbia chief Harry Cohn, but Novak floundered in her early roles, which required her to provide eye candy and little else. Later films like "Picnic" (1955) and "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955) gave her the chance to display her dramatic and even vulnerable sides, but it was Alfred Hitchcock who provided her with an enduring showcase as the object of James Stewart's affections in "Vertigo" (1958). Sadly, her career began to fade just as it had reached its peak - by the '60s, she was floundering in lukewarm comedies and melodramas, which precipitated a hiatus from acting at the end of the decade. Novak made occasional returns to film in the 1970s and 1980s; none of which could match the intoxicating spell she cast on moviegoers during her heyday three decades prior. Her absence from the public eye only increased the allure of her legend, and preserved her status as one of postwar Hollywood's most mysterious and appealing actresses.<p><p>Born Marilyn Pauline Novak on Feb. 13, 1933, she was one of two daughters born to her Czech parents in Chicago, IL. She began her career in front of the cameras as a teenaged model for a local department store, eventually touring the country as "Miss Deepfreeze" for a refrigerator company. The job took her to Los Angeles, where she landed an uncredited cameo in the 3-D Jane Russell feature "The French Line" (1954) for RKO. Novak's shapely figure and cool demeanor caught the eye of Columbia talent director Max Arnow, who brought her to the attention of studio chief Harry Cohn. Novak was signed to a long-term contract and molded as a bombshell in the fashion of Marilyn Monroe, whose popularity was on the wane, thanks to her chronic health and personality issues. According to Novak, Cohn informed her in decidedly offensive terms that she was to change her name - Kit Marlowe was the original suggestion, but both parties eventually agreed on Kim Novak - and lose weight. She was also required to take acting lessons, for which she was to pay out of her own pocket.<p>Novak captured the attention of critics and audiences alike with her first role, a femme fatale in the noirish "Pushover" (1953) with Fred MacMurray. Her appeal spiked even further after her turn as a Monroe<i>esque</i> starlet in "Phfft!" (1954), a gentle sex comedy with Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday. She broke from the sexbomb mold with her next picture, a screen adaptation of William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Picnic"(1955), which cast her as a small town innocent who runs afoul of William Holden's broken-down ex-football star. The film earned her a nomination from the BAFTA Film Awards. She continued to prove her dramatic skills as a sympathetic neighbor to Frank Sinatra's drug addict in "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1956) and opposite Tyrone Power in "The Eddy Duchin Story" (1957). But Columbia viewed Novak as a star rather than an actress, and continued to place her in lightweight material like "The Jeanne Eagles Story" (1957) and the musical "Pal Joey" (1957) in which she tried to out-sex the studio's aging Love Goddess, Rita Hayworth.<p>Despite the undermining of her burgeoning talent, the studio helped to place her in the Top 10 box office attractions of the late 1950s. Her popularity was underscored by her regular appearance in the tabloids of the day, which linked her to a variety of leading men, including Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. - a scandal at the time, given he was an African-American - and Cary Grant. One of her suitors, Ramfis Trujillo, whose father was Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, even made her the subject of debate on the floor of the United States Congress after she received the gift of a sports car from him.<p>After Vera Miles was forced to bow out of Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958) due to her pregnancy, the acclaimed suspense director cast Novak in the dual role of the blonde and mysterious Madeleine Elster and her bookish brunette double, Judy Barton; both of whom become obsessions for private detective James Stewart. Hitchcock made excellent use of Novak's seductive qualities, as well as her own internal conflict over her image and its manipulation by others. The result was one of the director's finest and most enduring efforts, as well as the best role of Novak's film career. Sadly, it would also prove to be the last time she would receive such a standout role on screen.<p>She reunited with Stewart and Lemmon that same year for a film version of the popular play "Bell, Book and Candle" (1958), but the results were flat and Novak's comedic skills seemed woefully inadequate. Subsequent efforts followed the same downward path; "Strangers When We Meet" (1960) was a sudsy drama about neighborhood affairs, while "The Notorious Landlady" (1962) and "Boys' Night Out" (1962) emphasized her physical charms over her acting abilities. Novak's appearances in these mediocre projects were made all the more baffling by the list of films she rejected - among them were "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), "The Hustler" (1961) and "Days of Wine and Roses" (1962). A 1964 remake of "Of Human Bondage" resulted in critical brickbats, and Billy Wilder's "Kiss Me, Stupid" (1964) was overwhelmed by the wave of outrage from religious and moral groups over its casual attitude towards sex. The film later earned a cult following among devotees of the director and Novak.<p>Novak ended her long reign at the box office with "The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders" (1965), an underwhelming adaptation of the Daniel Defoe novel. Like "Kiss Me, Stupid," it tanked with ticket buyers, though Novak gained a husband in her co-star, English theater actor, Richard Johnson. The couple was married less than a year. She soon turned her back on moviemaking for three years, only to return for another miserable flop, Richard Aldrich's morbid camp drama "The Legend of Lylah Clare" (1968). Its failure drove her back into retirement, though there were occasional forays into TV-movies like the effective "Satan's Triangle" (1975). There were sporadic film appearances during the decade as well, though few would consider the British horror anthology "Tales That Witness Madness" (1973) or "The White Buffalo" (1979), which pitted Charles Bronson against a bison the size of a steam liner, as worthwhile additions to Novak's credits.<p>Novak began the 1980s with appearances in David Hemmings' "Just a Gigolo" (1980), which marked the return of Marlene Dietrich to motion pictures, and the Agatha Christie mystery "The Mirror Crack'd," which cast her and Elizabeth Taylor as - appropriately enough - fading movie queens. From 1986 to 1987, she enjoyed a recurring role on the primetime soap opera "Falcon Crest" (CBS, 1981-1990) as a shady lady on the run from European criminals who poses as the stepdaughter of wealthy industrialist Peter Stavros (Cesar Romero). The show's producers paid tribute to Novak's Hollywood legacy by naming her character after her original nom du screen, Kit Marlowe. She also appeared in the pilot for NBC's revival of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (NBC/USA, 1985-89) opposite John Huston in an unsettling remake of "The Man from the South," a memorable episode from the original series (CBS/NBC, 1955-1965).<p>Novak's final screen appearance came in 1991 with "Liebestraum," a thriller by Mike Figgis about a young man who discovers unpleasant truths about his family after returning home to visit his estranged mother (Novak). The experience was reportedly a difficult one, due to clashes between Novak and Figgis over how to play the role, and she effectively quashed any further comebacks by retiring to her home in Oregon to raise horses and llamas. Sadly, Novak lost the residence and many valuable mementos in a fire in 2000. The actress was the subject of numerous tributes in the late 1990s and early 2000s; the theatrical revival of a restored version of "Vertigo" sparked interest in her career, while the Berlin Film Festival and Eastman Kodak gave her lifetime achievement awards in 1997 and 2000, respectively. In 2010, fans were saddened to hear the 77-year-old actress had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but were heartened to hear it was caught in its early stages and that the actress was expected to make a full recovery.